Fame and Power wires Sir Barton; Ageless sets new course mark in The Very One

Fame and Power (First Defence) put his speed to good use in Saturday's

$100,000

Sir

Barton at Pimlico, leading wire to wire in a three-length victory. Martin

Garcia was up on the Juddmonte Farms-owned colt, who established splits of :23

2/5, :46 3/5 and 1:10 2/5 en route to completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:41 3/5.

Third to Preakness (G1) entrant Divining Rod (Tapit) when making his stakes

debut in the April 11 Lexington (G3) at Keeneland, Fame and Power broke his

maiden two starts previously at Santa Anita for Hall of Fame trainer Bob

Baffert. The dark bay three-year-old was making seventh start Saturday,

improving his record to 2-2-1 with earnings of $145,610.

"We got close at Keeneland," Baffert said. "This is basically a speed horse

that really should be going one turn. Going into today we had to plan a little

differently. I told the jock to get out there and make them catch him."

Fame and Power sprinted clear entering the first turn and was never

threatened the rest of the way.

Lael Stables's Ageless (Successful Appeal) made a successful title defense in

the $100,000

The Very

One, rallying boldly to establish a new five-furlong turf course record in

:55.66. Now a four-time stakes heroine, the six-year-old mare snapped a

four-race losing streak and scored as 6-5 favorite among 11 fillies and mares.

Julien Leparoux was up on the Arnaud Delacour-trained bay.

Jewel of a Cat (Wildcat Heir) sped forward to establish quick opening splits

of :21 3/5 and :44 before giving way in the stretch. Ageless rated in midpack in

the early stages and emerged from a pack of runners after straightening for

home, closing boldly in the middle of the course to win going away by three

parts of a length.

Joya Real (Eddington) offered a belated move for runner-up honors at 10-1, a

half-length better than Aquinnah (City Place) and Shrinking Violet (Congaree),

who dead-heated for third.

In the $100,000

Chick

Lang, a six-furlong main track sprint for three-year-olds, Holy Boss (Street

Boss) tracked pacesetter Victory Is Sweet (Congrats) through opening splits of

:22 2/5 and :44 4/5 before wearing down his rival in midstretch, powering his

way to a two-length decision beneath Ricardo Santa Jr. The Steve

Asmussen-trained colt won his third straight start, the last two being stakes.

Off as the 9-2 third choice versus 10 opponents, Holy Boss is owned by Jerry

Durant. The chestnut Kentucky-bred, a $135,000 Keeneland September yearling

purchase in 2013, was exiting a one-length score in the April 10 Bachelor at

Oaklawn Park. He's now earned $210,490 from a 7-4-1-0 ledger.

This is a nice horse. I had a lot of confidence in this horse. I had a good

break and was in good position going into the turn. I knew that [Victory is

Sweet] was pretty quick so we just sat behind waiting to make a move. When I

asked for run, I had a lot of horse in my hands. Turning for home I felt pretty

good

"This is a nice horse," Santana said. "I had a lot of confidence in this

horse. I had a good break and was in good position going into the turn. I knew

that (Victory is Sweet) was pretty quick so we just sat behind waiting to make a

move. When I asked for run, I had a lot of horse in my hands. Turning for home I

felt pretty good."

The $100,000

James W.

Murphy, the first of eight stakes races on the Preakness card, went to Woody

Weekes' Woodwin W (More Than Ready), who swept past pacesetter Bluegrass Singer

(Bluegrass Cat) at the top of the stretch and sprinted clear to keep his perfect

record intact.

Trained by Jamie Hess and ridden by Jevian Toledo, the Kentucky-bred gelding

was making his stakes debut in the one-mile turf test for three-year-olds and

triumphed by three-quarters of a length as the 7-2 third choice among eight

contestants. An allowance scorer at Pimlico on April 24, Woodwin W stretched his

win streak to four and has now earned $114,540.

"We were pretty confident coming into the race," Ness said. "Jevian had

ridden him before and so far he's won every race. I told him to keep him close

up and if he didn't do well it would be my fault. This is the first horse for

these owners and they came up from Florida to see today's race. We haven't

decided where to go with him next."

Woodwin W raced within striking range in third during the early stages and

pounced when asked in the stretch drive, opening up a two-length advantage with

an eighth of a mile remaining. Force the Pass (Speightstown), the 2-1 favorite,

rallied to be a clear second and All I Karabout (Bernstein) closed belatedly for

third.